Feels Like War
by FifteenFathomsCounting
Summary: When Bones and Jim encounter a young woman who can drop an Orion in a bar, in less than ten moves, they are impressed. But is there more to her than meets the eye?


**A/N: I literally wrote this as a birthday present for Charlotte, so yeah, if she likes it then you may have an update!**

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**Feels Like War**

_In the chill of your stare  
I am painfully lost  
Like a deer in the lights  
Of an oncoming bus_

All Time Low (feat. Vic Fuentes) – A Love Like War

The bar was crowded, filled with hundreds of gyrating bodies, and clouded with the smoke of a half-dozen Banean cigars. Drinks were spilt carelessly, and someone's unsupervised Samarian Sunset was knocked across the bar, by a reckless arm movement. As the clear liquid turned into a puddle of orange and gold liquor, the cadet it belonged to loudly bemoaned her loss of drink to no avail, and was quietly escorted away by a frowning bartender. The crowd swelled as the music changed, and suddenly they were all dancing once more, laughing and shouting as more drinks dropped to the floor and clothes were ruined.

Tucked away in a booth, nursing a tumbler of good Kentucky Bourbon with a scowl, sat a dark-haired man. He took a gulp and grimaced, either at the pleasant burn down his throat, or in discomfort at the loud chattering of his companion. He was talking animatedly, waving his hands about and nearly knocking over his own drink, before breaking off occasionally to smile charmingly at attractive young cadets. Soon, he came to realise that his friend wasn't listening.

"Hey! Come on Bones, lighten up a little!"

"I'm finer than frog hair, leave me be! Dammit Jim, what's it take to let a man enjoy his drink in peace?"

Somewhere in the distance, the sound of glass smashing broke through the music, and the encouraging shouts of the people watching helped to somewhat cover-up the sounds of what appeared to be a bar-fight. Bones stiffened, and glanced towards Jim, as if willing him not to get up and investigate, but Jim laughed and tipped back his drink, draining it in one.

They were interrupted by a young woman tripping over towards their table, grinning slightly despite the split lip and torn collar she wore like a badge.

"Oi! Lads! Don't suppose you'd mind helping me out a minute, would ya?"

Jim looked her up and down, examining her deep red curls, and the amused expression she bore, before matching her grin with ease. "I think we could come to some kind of arrangement, couldn't we Bones?" He glanced towards his friend, but was rebuked with a solemn glare and little other response. "Well, looks like it's just you and me-"

She had already taken his arm and whisked him away, just barely catching Bones' strangled protests as he drained his whiskey with one final gulp. "Whoa, whoa, whoa there, darlin' where do you think you're going?" Bones griped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and stumbling after them.

She shrugged nonchalantly, directing a wink towards Jim, before taking Bones by the arm and swivelling him to meet the heavy-set, green-skinned Orion glaring at her.

There was a second's silence, as he was joined by two other equally angry looking men, cracking their knuckles. Jim's mouth fell open as he came to understand, and turned to the girl, no doubt about to ask what kind of trouble she'd gotten into, but it was too late.

The first man swung a meaty fist at the girl and she ducked, kicking him in the crotch with a wicked grin, and smacking him with a well-placed left hook as he regained his balance. Jim and Bones had just enough time to look at each other with similarly shocked expressions before the other men were on them. Bones let out a strangled cry as his nose was bloodied, and shouted across the room. "I'll get you for that, ya bastard!"

The girl ducked another lurching punch, and winded the man briefly, by planting her foot in his gut. Another punch sent him reeling and soon he was flat on his back, whilst a few onlookers whistled appreciatively. She grinned briefly and licked her split lip carefully, wincing as it stung. Bones dropped his attacker to the floor and wiped his nose, splattering blood on the bar floor. He paused to watch as Jim was choked from behind, gesturing frantically at Bones for help. Bones folded his arms and watched with a small degree of pleasure, revelling in his friend's pain.

"This was entirely your fault. I am not getting you out of this one!" He smirked, graciously accepting a tissue held out gingerly by the red-headed girl and trying to stem the flow from his nose.

"We should probably help him out now." She remarked quietly as Jim slipped from his grasp and threw another lopsided punch and staggered into a table.

"I reckon you're right, but just give me a moment. I like seeing him beaten for once!"

Jim was yanked upright by the back of his shirt and slung into another table, knocking all the wind out of him, and the girl suddenly jumped into action, putting down the drink she had somehow acquired in the middle of all the fuss. Picking up a chair from its place on the dance floor, where it had been knocked, she twirled it thoughtfully and in one fluid motion, broke it across the man's back.

As the men scrambled to their feet and retreated, Bones helped Jim to his feet and dusted him down briefly, with a stern glare chucked in his direction. The Orions slunk behind another, and as she stepped forward into the glaring light, it became clear that they had sent a slave-girl to fight their battles for them.

The red-headed woman stepped forward furiously, clenching her fists in front of her. "You're off your rocker!" She shouted across the bar. "You stupid bint! It was one drink, and I offered to pay for it, so just lay off!"

When the Orion slave-girl appeared uninterested, she sighed and took off her jacket, handing to Jim without a second's thought. "Might as well get this over with." She muttered, sinking into a feline crouch. The slave-girl lunged at her, going for the hair, as women often do in desperate fights. As she leaned, the girl brought up her foot quickly, and knocked the Orion's feet out from under her, leaving her in a heap on the floor.

"I'm ready to leave now boys."

Jim let out a breath he did not even know he had been holding, and cast a glance at Bones, who he was glad to see, was equally as impressed by the girl.


End file.
